Trade And Convention Centre Receives City Funding As It Faces Competition

(Market Square)

(File Photo)

The city is earmarking 550-thousand dollars for the proposed upgrade and expansion of the Trade and Convention Center at Market Square. City manager Pat Woods says the money will move the project forward.
Meantime -- Woods says negotiations will begin with the Hardman Group for additional space for the expansion while other funding sources will be sought.
The plan calls for construction on the 6 to 8-million dollar project to begin early in the New Year. Saint John now faces some competition for the convention business.
The City of Fredericton says it should start seeing the economic return on its new convention centre as early as December.
Sales director Cathy Pugh says interest is already being expressed in the centre and the adjoining, 700-seat Playhouse theatre.
The 24 (m) million dollar convention centre, which is part of a larger complex, is slated to open in December.
Pugh says she already has 12 tentative bookings lined up that will see events held through 2015.